My Biggest Enemy by Taylie

My Biggest Enemy by Taylie - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

If I could give my past self one piece of advice, it would be that fear of failure is your biggest enemy. I missed out on so many opportunities throughout high school and even before that because I was afraid. I was afraid of what people might think of me, afraid of not being good enough for people and opportunities, afraid that things would end badly no matter what I did. Most of my regrets come from decisions I made based on fear.
I had convinced myself not to try out for sports teams because I thought I wouldn’t make the team. I didn’t try to make more friends because there was a chance it wouldn’t work, and I would still be in the same place I already was with more fear than I had to begin with. I held back from being myself around others because I was afraid, they’d think I was weird and would like me. That fear made my world smaller and the world around me seem bigger. Now, as I spend the summer before college only working and talking to my parents, I feel the weight of all those missed chances. I carry the burden of all the regrets I have.
Ironically, my decision of trying so hard to avoid failure led to me failing in a different way. I failed to make the most of my high school years and failed myself of what could have been. If I could go back, I wouldn’t give myself basic advice like “try new things” or “don’t be afraid of being with yourself” I’d tell myself to stop letting fear drive every decision. I’d say, “Make a fool of yourself if you have to. Just go.”
And honestly, this isn’t just advice for my past self. It’s for me now, too. I’m still learning how to let go of fear. But I now know that fear doesn’t get to make my choices anymore. I do.